Bears Shutout for Second Straight Game, 2-0 at Holy Cross

Nov 26, 2011

WORCESTER, MA – The Bears' offensive struggles continued to plague them, as the Brown men's hockey team (3-5-1, 2-2-0 ECAC Hockey) was shutout for the second consecutive game, falling to Holy Cross (5-6-0, 3-4-0 AHA), 2-0, on Saturday afternoon at the Crusaders' Hart Center. After scoring 12 goals in its first four games, Brown has scored just three in its last five, while posting a 1-3-1 record during that time.

The two teams went back-and-forth during the early going with both teams seeing chances to score the game's first goal from the perimeter. Senior Bobby Farnham (North Andover, MA) had the first great scoring opportunity about midway through the period, when he collected the puck in the neutral zone and skated in on a partial breakaway after getting around the Holy Cross defender. Farnham had Crusaders' Thomas Tysowsky beat, but he couldn't get a shot off and the puck ended up with sophomore Dennis Robertson (Fort St. John, BC) at the left point. Robertson sent the puck back in, where Farnham met it on right side of the net and fired it on cage. With Tysowsky down, Farnham's attempt hit the near post, as the Bears' were kept off the board.

With the Bears on a power play and with less than five minutes left in the first, Tysowsky made a nice save on another partial breakaway by Farnham. Freshman Matt Harlow (Bridgewater, MA) scooped up the rebound looking for his first career goal, but his shot was wide of the net and Brown was kept off the board. Harlow and Farnham nearly combined for a goal with 10 seconds left in the first, but Tysowsky came up with another big save, stopping Farnhams attempt from the edge of the crease after Harlow fed the puck into the slot from behind the net.

Brown earned its second power play of the game just 31 seconds into the second period after an interference call on Erik Voss. Senior Jack Maclellan (Calgary, ALB) nearly put the Bears up, 1-0, but Tysowsky made a quick reaction save on his redirection of a shot by sophomore Matt Wahl (Wellington, FL) with 20 seconds left in the power play.

Holy Cross was able to kill the man-advantage and just 14 seconds after the power play expired, Voss gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead, converting on a three-on-two rush for his fifth goal of the year.

The Crusaders nearly took a 2-0 lead with less than 10 minutes left in the 2nd period, but senior Mike Clemente (Great Falls, VA) made a big save on Jay Silvia's attempt from the left side with Holy Cross on a two-on-one break.

With under three remaining in the second period, freshman Matt Lorito (Oakville, ONT), who was skating for the first time this season after suffering an injury during captain's practices, nearly got the Bears on the board with what would have been his first career goal. Maclellan skated the puck into the zone with the Bears on a three-on-two. He carried the puck to the bottom of the right circle and sent it up to Lorito, who was racing down the slot. Tysowski dropped, leaving the entire top of the net open, but Lorito's wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle sailed high of the net, as Holy Cross held onto the 1-0 lead.

The Crusaders increased their lead to 2-0 7:13 into the third period when Jeffrey Reppucci fired a slap shot from the left point that beat Clemente glove-side high for his first goal of the year.

Brown had a chance to get on the board with a late power play, but Holy Cross killed the threat. The Bears pulled Clemente, who finished with 28 saves, with 2:33 remaining. However, the Crusaders were up to the task, preventing Brown from generating much of anything in the final minutes, despite possessing the puck for the majority of that time.

After three straight non-league games against teams from the Atlantic Hockey Association, Brown continues action on Thursday evening in the first half of a home-and-home series with its travel partner, Yale, in New Haven. The teams finish the home-and-home on Saturday evening, December 3rd, in Providence.